During the past few months Daniel and Vala had been skidding on and off the rails of their emotional roller coaster. They'd go from days of contented friendship almost seamlessly segueing into borderline flirting before hitting the cold wall of Daniel's fear and paranoia. He would start to pull away from Vala and move on to pushing her away.

Vala had poured her agony out to Sam and listened to her assurances that Vala needed to give Daniel space and time. After months of Daniel's asinine behavior Sam didn't feel confident enough to continue offering Vala comfort. Though Sam felt that in his heart Daniel did love Vala she was forced to agree that the situation was untenable and Vala shouldn't continue to enable Daniel's dysfunctional behavior. Though Sam didn't agree with Vala's plan to leave SCG once she finally gave up on Daniel.

"One last time, Sam. I swear this is it! The next time he crushes, whatever you can call this thing we have going on between us, will be the last." Vala laid her head down on the work table in Sam's lab.

"I know I sound like a broken record." Vala raised her head looking at Sam in confusion. "I'll explain about the record later. Though really there should be an update to that phrase. Technologically, records are a …" Shaking her head when she saw the even more puzzled look on her friend's face Sam continued. "I know. The science talk isn't helping. What I was going to say …" Sam stopped when she saw Vala's tears.

"Vala? What the …?"

"I'm sorry. You going off on tangents made me think of Daniel, which makes me frustrated which makes me cry." After wiping off her cheeks with the backs of her hands Vala smiled. "Go ahead Sam. I'm fine."

"Now you sound like Daniel!" Taking a deep breath Sam spoke rapidly. "I really think, no I know, that Daniel loves you." Catching Vala's glare Sam finished with "But you're right. It's unacceptable that he treats you like that."

"Okay. One last shot and then I give up." Vala was laughing as she left the lab. She and Daniel had been getting along so well for the past two days that she almost wanted it to be over so she could relax. Vala was convinced that the pain of anticipation was even worse than the horror of that moment when his eyes darkened and she felt him start to slip away.

First visit to P7X-238

SG-1 stepped through the Gate and found themselves on a dirt road leading towards what looked like a small village in the distance. To the right of the Gate were the ruins of a large stone building missing the roof and two of the walls. There were writings on the still standing back wall and piles of tablets on large stone tables. Daniel's eyes lit up and without saying a word he headed towards the crumbling threshold.

Mitchell spoke into the air where Daniel had been moments before. "Why don't you check that out Jackson? We'll head into town. Hopefully we'll find someone who can give us permission to check out the Naquadah deposits that showed on the scans." He turned towards Vala saying. "Keep an eye on our boy. And walk around the perimeter every so often will ya?"

Vala smiled wanly. She and Daniel were on a downward slide but he wasn't yelling at her to leave him alone, at least not yet. She waved good bye to Mitchell, Sam and Teal'c before walking around the back of the building. Vala thought she'd wait until Daniel was engrossed in his find before she went in to check on him. When he was happily working he never turned on her. It was during those moments that teetered on the edge of intimacy that he freaked out.

Teal'c, Mitchell and Sam headed down the road. Vala felt herself relax as she walked in the sunlight. There was a nice breeze and the temperature was warm but not hot. It was a perfect day for a stroll. She'd walked around the building twice peering inside to check on Daniel as she went past. The third time around the back she sat on a large rock. She could see all the possible approaches to the building and decided it would be safe to rest for awhile.

Her eyes flew open when a small hand touched her arm. They all teased Daniel when he said it but Vala hadn't been asleep. She was actually resting her eyes and enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face. She saw the small face of a three or four year old boy with light brown hair cut in what the Tau'ri called a bowl cut. His eyes were a clear green and a little sad, his mouth formed a tentative smile. He was barefoot wearing a nondescript outfit of brown pants and tunic. When she returned his smile he grinned. Vala responded with an even broader grin and he did the same. Vala laughed as she asked him his name.

"It's Lauren. Where did you come from?"

Vala told him her name and she pointed at the Gate and waited for his response.

Lauren shrugged his shoulders. "Oh. I never saw anyone walk through there before. Did you come from afar?"

"Pretty far. How about you? Are you from the village?" Vala pointed down the path.

Lauren shook his head. "No. Not now. Not yet."

Vala wasn't sure how to respond to his odd answer when he gently laid his right hand on top of hers. "Will you play with me Vala?"

Vala stood up and took his hand. His smile was so sweet she caught her breath. Vala had tried to put the idea of children out of her mind after the debacle that was Adria, but she found herself responding to this sad little boy. As he smiled at her she could still see the sadness in his eyes, a sadness that she felt drawn to and felt she understood. He was lonely.

"What did you have in mind?"

Lauren pointed to the rock covered hill behind her. "Maybe we could climb way up there. At the top there are flowers we can pick."

Vala looked at the pile of rocks and realized that to a small child it must look like a mountain. She pulled the boy along with her towards the hill. They scrambled up slowly, with Vala keeping to Lauren's pace. The boy was right, there were wildflowers growing in a meadow at the crest. The two of them sat in the grass among the flowers and gathered bouquets. Vala had no trouble keeping her eyes on Daniel's ruin so she relaxed. Climbing had tired the small boy and he soon lay flat on his back.

Vala pulled out a water bottle from her pack and offered him a drink. He looked confused at the odd shaped vessel until she put it to her mouth and took a sip. This time Lauren eagerly grabbed it when she held it out to him. Rummaging through her pack Vala triumphantly pulled out a chocolate bar. Lauren stared as she unwrapped the candy and broke off two pieces. Once Vala put one piece in her mouth Lauren immediately reached out for the other one and brought it to his mouth. Before taking a bite he smelled the brown square in his hand. Smiling he took a large bite. As he chewed and swallowed his eyes lit up. Lauren's now smiling eyes made Vala feel happy. She grinned and lay down on the grass next to his small body. After a few minutes Vala decided that she should go back down to the ruin and check on Daniel. When she sat up so did Lauren. Before she could pull herself up to her feet he gently put his arm around her waist. She responded by putting her arm around his thin shoulders and gingerly pulling him towards her. She was shocked by how natural it felt to press his slight body close to her. Leaning down she stroked his cheek just as she would have Daniel's. Lauren loosened his hold on her as she stood up. Vala reached down and pulled him upright.

"I have to go back down and see my friends. Do you want to go back to the village?" Then she remembered that he'd said he wasn't from the village. Before she could say anything he pointed across the meadow.

"I have to go that way. I've been gone a long time. The others might be worried." He laughed. "They think I'm just a baby. But I'm not!"

Vala squatted down to look him in the eyes. "No. I don't think you are. But won't your mother be looking for you soon?"

When she said the word 'mother' the boy flinched. But a second later he gave her another huge grin. As he walked off through the flowers he waved goodbye asking "Maybe we can play another day?"

Vala smiled and agreed. "Maybe we can. I really hope I'll see you again Lauren." As Vala watched the small boy walk away she couldn't help from wondering if her fantasy of having children with Daniel could ever come true. She waved as she headed down the hill. Vala was still smiling when she entered the building or what was left of it. Daniel looked up when she came through the door and responded to her smile with one of his own.

"Vala, there you are. This place is fascinating. I've taken photos so I can spend more time working on it back in my office." He stood up and wiped the dust and dirt on his hands along the sides of his pants. "Where did you go? You look dirty."

"I was playing in the dirt with Lauren."

"Lauren?"

"Lauren's a little boy. He said that he wasn't from the village but he didn't say where he did come from."

Daniel smiled politely at her answer obviously anxious to return to SGC with what Vala called his cultural booty. "Are the guys back yet?" As soon as he asked Mitchell's voice came over Vala's radio.

"Hope you two are ready to leave. We're on our way back to the Gate. See ya in a few. Mitchell out."

In the Briefing Room SG-1 was discussing their visit to P7X-238 with General Landry. Daniel and Vala hadn't made it to the village so he asked the rest of the team to describe it.

Mitchell answered first. "Small. Quaint. Charming. A simple farming community but they do use some advanced technology. They have some source for electric power and running water. But no motorized vehicles. They were working the fields with some really ugly large domesticated critters."

Sam added. "I don't think they developed the technology. They just use it."

"SamanthaCarter, is that not usual for worlds that have been taken over by more advanced races and then abandoned?"

Vala chimed in. "Remember how the Ori had the people build spaceships for their war but let them live in hovels."

Mitchell continued "They don't use the Gate themselves but welcome traders. They're pretty poor so they don't attract much attention from the rest of the galaxy. The town's run by people they refer to as the Elders. I don't think they're formally elected just the typical group of the oldest and therefore hopefully wisest of the men in the village. Again as typical it's all men, no women."

"I'm excited about what I found on the walls in that building and the odd looking tablets. None of it is in Goa'uld so I need to learn more if I'm going to decipher the text. Then maybe I'll find a clue as to which aliens conquered them."

General Landry looked at Mitchell and asked "Anything else interesting?"

Mitchell answered "There's some weird kind of a wall. It starts along one edge of the village proper and crosses the fields and meadows creating a circular border. Maybe it surrounds a compound or something. I figure it was left by the aliens. It goes near the Gate but runs on the other side of some hills behind that ruined building."

"Lauren and I must have been playing close to it. I don't remember seeing any wall." Vala laughed and added. "Though I was keeping my eyes on Daniel's play house and the Gate. And the flowers and the boy."

Sam added. "A very strange wall. It appears to be some sort of cross between a force field and a semi-transparent plastic wall. Like very lightly tinted car window glass. It's hard to describe. It looks as if you can see through it but there's something odd about what you see. It's not exactly fuzzy but ... I'd liked to spend more time checking it out. The villagers acted very nervous when I approached it."

"Maybe when we go back you can run some experiments." Mitchell smiled as Sam's face lit up at the thought.

Teal'c added. "We saw no young children or babies. As if they were hidden from us. Perhaps they distrusted our presence."

Mitchell agreed. "Yeah, that seemed a little off."

Daniel smiled and said. "Well, Vala managed to find one. And spend some time rolling around in the dirt with him."

Vala smiled as she remembered Lauren.

"When we talked about mining the Naquadah they were concerned about our disrupting their peaceful village life." said Sam. "I didn't want to alienate them by asking too many questions."

The bottom line was that the villagers on P7X-238 were interested in trade and were willing to allow SGC to investigate mining. They'd no interest in mining themselves but would consider allowing SGC to mine in return for a percentage of the profit. The Elders requested time to discuss their decision with the whole village which they insisted was the only settlement on the planet. Curious that Lauren had said he wasn't from the village the decision was made to send SG-6 back to the planet to begin negotiations. In addition they would be accompanied by SG-13 who'd begin exploration of the planet for both additional Naquadah deposits and settlements. If there were other villages they'd make contact and arrange meetings with all the governments on P7X-238.

SG-1 had made arrangements with the Elders to return in three weeks and finalize any possible treaty. Thus giving SG-13 and SG-6 time to report their findings and negotiation details to SGC before SG-1's second visit. Meanwhile Daniel would work on translating the writings hoping to shed light on the history of P7X-238.

As the room emptied Vala continued to think about Lauren and how he'd reacted to her question about his mother. If his mother was gone maybe she could help take care of him. Vala was convinced she'd be leaving SGC soon, in spite of Daniel recent smiles on the planet as well as during the debriefing. When that time came, maybe she'd return to P7X-238. Vala had admitted to herself that she'd never love another man than Daniel. Maybe helping a child who was alone would provide some solace. And if Lauren's mother wasn't dead then Vala would help reunite them. When her mother had died Jacek was off-world. Vala had been left alone with her grief, unsure if her father would return for her. Vala knew she could understand Lauren's pain and loneliness whatever its cause and resolved to help him.

Three weeks later.

Vala burst through the door yelling "Daniel! Daniel! You'll never guess …"

Daniel looked up and with a sigh of annoyance and held his hand up palm towards her. "I'm sure I can guess. You're bored. I told you a few minutes ago that I was busy. I need to focus on this translation. It's extremely important and I can't concentrate if I have to worry about entertaining you."

An excited Vala dismissed his protests. "No. No. Daniel, you've got it wrong. You'll be happy when I tell you …"

Taking a deep breath Daniel cut her off. "I just don't have time for you right now Vala. Please just leave."

Vala tried again. "But, Daniel!"

Allowing his anger to show he interrupted her again. "I don't know how I can be clearer. Leave! Go! Get out!" He frowned at her and muttered "And please feel free to take your time coming back."

Vala closed her eyes and slowly turned and walked out the door.

Daniel added a final jab. "And I do mean take your time."

After she left Daniel started banging his head on the desk. He knew he wasn't being fair to her. She didn't deserve the way he treated her. When she'd burst through the door he'd looked up and the sheer sight of her face made him catch his breath. He knew he'd die if she stayed just as surely as he knew he'd die if she left. But he couldn't take the chance that she wouldn't want to stay. Daniel had to force her to leave so he could start to breathe again. Breathe and still hope that she would have chosen to be with him if he'd given her the chance.

Knowing what, or rather who, waited for her in the hall Vala slapped a wide grin on her face. There stood Sam, looking as embarrassed as Vala. They both tried to pretend Sam hadn't heard Daniel yelling. During the three weeks before their scheduled return to P7X-238 Sam had been at Area 51. She returned this morning and Vala knew Daniel would be happy to see her. They'd headed to his lab together but Vala had run ahead in her excitement to tell Daniel.

"He says he's quite busy. But I'm sure he won't be too busy for you. Go ahead in. I'll see you another time."

Vala hadn't been very good at disguising her reaction to Daniel. Sam could tell her friend was devastated by Daniel's behavior and humiliated that Sam had overheard him. Sam knew Vala wouldn't be able to stop herself from listening at the door hoping that Daniel would tell Sam he was too busy to see her.

Standing outside of Daniel's office Vala knew that no matter what he said Daniel would, at least, be polite to Sam. Probably he'd be glad to have her interrupt him and wouldn't even mention his important work. Still she stayed, unable to stop herself from listening.

Sam wanted to see Daniel but found herself hoping he would tell her to leave because he was busy. She knew Vala was listening and she knew Vala was going to be hurt. Sam didn't want that to happen.

Daniel looked up and grinned when Sam walked through the door. "Sam! My God! When did you get back? It's great to see you." Standing up as he greeted her he walked over and gave her a hug.

"Is this a bad time Daniel? You look busy." Sam mentally crossed her fingers.

"What? This?" he pointed at the papers on his desk. "Nothing that important. Nothing that can't wait."

There was a noise in the hall. Daniel looked towards the door.

"That's probably Vala. She wanted to tell you I was here."

Daniel smiled. "Oh. That's what she wanted me to guess. How was Area 51?"

"Same old same old I guess." Sam had to get out of the room and try and find Vala. "I'll catch up with you later. I've got some paperwork to finish before we leave the day after tomorrow."

"Okay, Sam. See you later."

Sam softly knocked on Vala's door. She heard someone moving around and then the sound of the door unlocking. Sam quietly let herself in. She could hear the sound of running water in the bathroom and sat on the bed waiting for her friend.

Vala came out drying her face. There was no sign of the tears Sam knew she'd shed. When she could see all of her friend's face Vala was smiling. It wasn't one of her typical megawatt grins and her eyes were red and puffy. But it was a smile.

"In a way I'm glad that happened. It's freeing in a way. I don't know where I'll go or what I'll do. But I do know that I won't be here."

Sam pleaded. "Vala. Please. Don't say that. Daniel didn't mean …"

"Didn't mean what Sam? It's not just what he says. You can't believe I should let him talk to me like that."

With a sigh Sam agreed. "I know. You're right. But I don't want to lose a friend."

"I won't be gone forever Sam." Vala's smile was gentle as she reassured Sam. "I spoke to Landry last week. He gave me permission to go on a "leave" for a month while I reconsider my commitment to SGC. I didn't mention Daniel but he's aware that there's a problem between us. A problem that's causing difficulties with the whole team."

"Did he say what would happen after that?"

"I was surprised. He encouraged me to return and if I still had problems being part of SG-1he'd find me a place, at Area 51 or maybe the Alpha Site."

"I'm sure everything will work out Vala. While you're gone maybe Daniel will…"

Vala took Sam's hands in hers. "I'm not doing this to get his attention. If I do return…"

At Sam protest she continued "Okay, 'when' I return. I'll make a life for myself here on Earth where my friends are. And just maybe Daniel and I can be friends when I've learned to deal with … I don't know what you'd call it. My affliction?"